Coronavirus In Minnesota: Split Rock Lighthouse To Light Beacon, 'We Will Weather This Storm'
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- In a show of support for Minnesotans who are united in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior's north shore will light its beacon.
"This is a way of saying to all Minnesotans, and to all people worldwide, that together we will weather this storm," Kent Whitworth, CEO and director of the Minnesota Historical Society, said.
The beacon will be lit at 8 p.m. Friday and remain on until 11 p.m.
Note that Split Rock is closed to the public. The Minnesota Historical Society invites the public to view the beacon via social media livestreams.
The lighthouse was first lit up on July 31, 1910, having been built after a 1905 storm on Lake Superior ended up damaging 29 ships.
Split Rock Light Station was ultimately closed in 1969 as new navigational technology made it obsolete.
It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011.